US2620791A - Valve structure - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 9, 1952 l. R. VERSOY ET AL VALVE STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 22, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet ,2

Dec. 9, 1952 l. R. VERSOY ET AL 2,620,791

VALVE STRUCTURE Filed Jan. 22, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. Q, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VALVE STRUCTURE Application January 22, 1945, Serial No. 573,932

11 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a fluid pressure control mechanism arranged to control the delivery of fluid such as air, for example, to a given receptacle in such a manner that the fluid will be delivered to the receptacle to place the latter under pressure under given conditions, and that regulation of this pressure will be eilected both as to the initial pressure obtaining in the receptacle when the fluid is delivered thereto and also as to the building up of additional pressure within the receptacle under certain conditions.

Although the invention is capable of various applications, as shown and described herein, it is applied to a valve structure for use in controlling and regulating the admission of pressure of air to suits worn by aviators to prevent the injurious effects resulting to the pilot or passengers from sudden changes in speed and direction of an airplane. As the invention is not limited to this particular application, the present description serves to illustrate and disclose one preferred use thereof.

It is well known that sudden changes in the speed and direction of an airplane and particularly changes in direction such asthat which occurs when an airplane is brought out of a dive, for example, bring about injurious effects to the pilot or passengers of the plane, and it has been proposed to protect such persons by the use of suits worn by them which will be provided with inflatable bladders or the like to which air may be admitted to exert pressure upon certain parts of the body. It is desirable that this pressure be exerted only when necessary and that the bladders be deflated under ordinary conditions or" flying when the pressure is not needed.

It is also desirable that the delivery of air to the bladder or other receptacle be under automatic control so that inflation of the bladder or suit will take place automatically, and it is also desirable that the degree of pressure delivered be varied according to the variation in centrifugal force accompanying changes in the direction or speed of the plane.

In brief, although variation is possible in this respect, it is considered desirable to admit air under a given amount of pressure to the aviators suit when the centrifugal force to which the plane is subjected reaches a given minimum value, and to increase this pressure in proportion to the increase in centrifugal force above the given minimum so that as the centrifugal force increases, the pressure in the suit will correspondingly build up or increase. Also it is desirable that the suit be immediately deflated when conditions of flying are such that the aviator is no longer subjected to the action of centrifugal force so that pressure is no longer needed in the suit, the reduction in pressure being also effected in proportion to the decrease in centrifugal force and, when the latter reaches a given minimum, the suit will be vented to the atmosphere.

One object of the invention is to provide a valve structure comprising a controlling mechanism and a regulating mechanism, the controlling mechanism serving to control the delivery of a fluid under pressure to the regulating mechanism, and the regulating mechanism serving to control the delivery of air to a receptacle so that the pressure in the latter will vary according to varying conditions.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a controlling and regulating mechanism of the character described such that air or fluid under a given pressure will be conveyed to a point of delivery when the value of the centrifugal force to which the mechanism is subjected reaches a given minimum figure and be varied according to the value of the centrifugal force above this minimum value while cutting off such delivery as quickly as the value of the centrifugal force falls below the predetermined amount.

A still further object'of the invention is to provide a pressure control mechanism of the character described such that air under pressure, for example, may normally be employed to pressurize a given receptacle such as a gasoline tank, for example, and under certain conditions be diverted from this use for delivery to another receptacle such as the bladder of an aviators suit, for example, while varying the pressure of the air delivered in the latter case according to conditions encountered by the wearer of the suit.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for delivering air or other fluid under pressure to a plurality of points of delivery and varying the pressure of the fluid so delivered in such a manner that the pressure of air delivered at each point may be varied according to given conditions and also varied with respect to that delivered at the other points.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a pressure control mechanism embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the control mechanism showing the parts in another position;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view partly shown in section of a modified form of our invention;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 42 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. is a sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 3.

To illustrate one embodiment of our invention, we have shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings a valve casing designated generally by the numeral IS, the casing being provided with chambers I I and I2. Above these chambers are partitions I3 and I l upon which are supported sealing caps I5 and IS.

The chamber II is separated by a partition I? from a lower chamber I8, the partition I! having provided therein a port It providing communication between the chambers II and I8. A second port is provided at the lower portion of the chamber is, this port as shown being in alignment with the port I9, and from the port 20 leads a pipe or duct 2! which may lead to any place where it isdesired to convey fluid pressure such as a gas tank, for example, or it may leaddirectly to the atmosphere if it is merely desired to vent the chamber I8. shown, however, it will be assumed that the duct 2| leads to the gas tank of an airplane to pressurizeor put under pressure the gas in the tank.

Inlet means in the form of a pipe 22 is provided for the chamber it, it being understood that fluid such as air, for example, will be admitted to the chamber through such inlet. The ports I9 and-29 are controlled respectively by valves 26 and 25, the valve 25 being secured to the lower end of a valve stem 26 slidablyanounted in the partition I3 while the valve 24 is slidably mounted upon this stem and is urged toward the port I9 or away from the valve 25 by aspring 21 actingbetween the two valves. It will be seen, therefore, that the spring 27 normally tends to hold the valve 24 against the seat in the partition I! closing the port I9.

An abutment in the form of a pin 29 is secured in the valve stem 25 above the valve 24, which abutment is adapted to pass through the port I9 and engage the valve 24 when the stem is moved downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 1 and move this valve from its seat to open the port I9 as shown in Fig. 2.

The valve stem 26 also extends upwardly through the partition I3 into the cap I 5 and at its'upper end is screw-threaded as shown at 36 to threadingly receive thereon a weight 3| by means of an internally screw-threaded sleeve 32 secured to the weight so that the latter may be adjusted on the stem. Acting between the weight 3| and the partition I3 is a compression spring 33 normally urging the valve stem 25 upwardly so as to maintain the valve 25 away from its seat in the lower end of the chamber I8 and, therefore, normallymaintain the port 29 in open position. The tension of this spring may be adjusted by adjustment of the weight 3i on a threaded end of the stem. A stop screw 35- is adjustably mounted at the upper end of the cap 15 to serve as anabutment or stop for the upper end of the valve stem to limit the upward movement thereof.

Thev chamber II is provided with a port 36 which in the form of the invention now being described provides communication with the chamber E2, and it will be apparent that the valve mechanism heretofore described is designed to permit air or other fluid under pressure which enters the chamber l8 through the inlet 22- to pass downwardly through the outlet pipe 2| when In the form of the invention -mal1y of sufficient strength to overcome the downward force exerted by the Weight 3I under normalconditions, that is, under the normal value due, to gravity but, that when the mechanism is subjected to centrifugal force acting in a downward direction as the mechanism is shown in Fig. 1, the additional pull of this centrifugal force on the weight 3| will overcome the force of the spring 33 and move the Valve stem 25 downwardly to seat the valve 25 on the port 2!] and thusclose this outlet pcrt. When this occurs, the pin 29 will engage the valve 24 moving this valve from its seat and thus opening port I9 to permit fluid pressure in the chamber I8 to pass into the chamber I2 through the port 36. Thus the fluid under pressure maybe, diverted from the outlet pipe SE to the chamber I2 when the centrifugal force to which th mechanism is subjected reaches a; given value, and this value may be adjusted or predetermined by adjustment of the spring 33.

The chamber I2 is provided with a vent port 37 and an outlet port 33 from which leads a duct or pipe 39 at a point of delivery which, if the device is used in connection with an aviators suit, will be a bladder or bladders to be inflated within the suit. This outlet pipe 39 may, of course, lead to any desired point ofdelivery where the fluid under pressure is to be used.

The vent port 31 is controlled byv a valve 49 at the lower end of a stem H which passes upwardly through a sleeve 42 secured in thepartition I4 and has secured adjacent its upper end a plate 43 constituting the upper wall of. a collapsible bellows M, the lower end of which is secured to the partition I4.

It will be understood thatthe stem 4| fits relatively loosely within the sleeve 42 so that air, for example, in the chamber, I2 may pass upwardly about the stem into the bellows 44. The plate 43 being connected to the stem, it will be apparent that the pressure of theair in the chamber I2 will upon entering the bellows tend to raise the valve 49 from its seat about the port 31. With the above construction it will be apparent that the position of the valve 69 will depend upon whether or not the pressure obtaining in the chamber i2 and to which the bellows 44 is subjected will be suflicient to overcome the weight which may be applied to the bellows and the tendency of the bellows to resist expansion. For example, when the air pressure in chamber I2 reaches such a value that this pressure applied over the efiective area of the bellows 44 evercomes the resistance of the bellows to expansion and any weight or force which maybe applied to the bellows. the valve M will be opened and the chamber I2 vented to the atmosphere. Thus the pressure in chamber I2 will be maintained below a certain maximum depending upon the downward force exerted upon the bellows as, when the upward force exerted upon the stem 4| by the bellows overcomes this downward force, the valve will be opened. This upward force is, of course, the product of the pressure obtaining in the chamber l2 and the effective area of the bellows 44.

Upon the upper end of stem M is provided a weight 41 so that this weight is carried by the valve stem. It will be understood that under conditions of rest, the weight 41 is subject to the force of gravity and, therefore, only a force due to the effect of gravity on this weight will be exerted downwardly on the stem 4| in a direction to seat the valve 40. However, if the mechanism is subjected to the action of centrifugal force acting in a direction to move the weight toward the chamber [2, the force exerted by the weight will be increased and that variation in this force will be proportional to the increase or decrease in the value of centrifugal force acting upon the weight. Thus, depending on the value of centrifugal force to which the weight is subjected, the amount of pressure in chamber l2 necessary to raise the valve 40 from its seat and vent this chamber to the atmosphere will be varied. Therefore, the air in the chamber I2 will be maintained at a predetermined pressure depending upon the value of centrifugal force to which the Weight is subjected and this pressure will also obtain in the aviators suit or other receptacle connected to the delivery pipe 39.

Also acting upon the weight 41 is a compression spring G8, the tension of which may be adjusted by an adjusting screw 50 threaded into a nut 51 secured in the top of the casing Hi, this screw acting upon a cap 52 seated upon the spring 48. This spring normally acts downwardly on the bellows and valve in addition to the weight 41'. The purpose of the spring 42 is to enable the variation, if required, by adjustment of this spring of the pressure of the air initially admitted to the aviators suit when the centrifugal force to which the mechanism is subjected reaches a given value. For example, it may be desired to begin inflation of the aviators suit when he is subjected to centrifugal force producing an acceleration equal to 2g or twice that due to gravity. In some instances, it may be desired to have the suit inflated with one and one-half pounds of air pressure at this time and, in other instances, it might be desired that this initial pressure be two or more pounds. This variation of the initial pressure admitted to the suit through the delivery means 39 may be effected by adjustment of the tension of the spring 48 by means of the adjusting screw 50 so that the initial inflation pressure admitted to the suit may be controlled and set at any desired point. Obviously, any increase in centrifugal force above this initial value will effect corresponding increase of pressure admitted to the suit. Likewise, when the value of centrifugal force decreases, it will require less pressure in the chamber l2 to actuate the bellows to raise the valve 48 and, therefore, the pressure obtaining in the chamber I2 and the suit will be decreased accordingly.

The operation of the mechanism thus far described is as follows: The normal position of the valves is that shown in Fig. l of the drawings as the various forces acting upon the valve stems 28 and M will be so arranged as to maintain the valves in this position under normal conditions of flying, for example, when the mechanism is subjected to little or no centrifugal force. If compressed air is admitted to the chamber it? through the inlet tube 22, this air will be vented through the port 28 and may be carried by the tube 2! to any desired point such as the gasoline tank, for example, if it is desired to pressurize the tank. When, however, a change in velocity or direction subjects the mechanism to centrifugal force of sufiicient value (depending upon the weight 3! and the setting of the spring 33) to move the valve stem 26 downwardly, the valve 25 will be carried with it and, when it approaches the port 29, will be snapped downwardly upon its seat by a sharp action to a fully closed position. During the latter part of the descent of the valve stem 23, the abutment or pin 29 will engage the upper surface of valve 24 and move it downwardly to open position, the spring 21 having held this valve against its seat during the initial part of the descent of the stem. This is the position shown in Fig. 2 and at this time compressed air in the chamber I 3 may flow through the port [9 and passage 36 into the valve chamber :2.

The valve stem 4! is also normally in the position shown in Fig. 1 and when compressed air is admitted to the chamber 12 by the opening of valve 24, this air would normally be vented through the port 3'! to the atmosphere, as the resistance of the bellows to further closing opposes the weight 41 and the spring 48. At this time also any pressure which may exist in chamber IE will act upon the bellows 44 and also tend to hold the valve ll) off its seat.

However, when the weight 41 is subjected to the action of centrifugal force sufficient to overcome the forces acting upwardly on the valve 40, this valve will also be closed, thus directing the pressure fluid in chamber [2 through duct 39 to a point of delivery such as an aviators suit for example. Moreover, it will be apparent that the air pressure existing in chamber l2 and, therefore, the pressure delivered through the outlet 39 will vary according to the variation in centrifugal force as the valve so will be kept in balance by the forces acting thereon in opposite directions. pressure in the chamber l2 increases, it will exert an increased force on the valve 40 in an opening direction through the action of bellows 44, thus tending to open the port 31 and vent the air therefrom to lower the pressure in the chamber I2, thus keeping the pressure in this chamber practically constant as long as there is no variation in the centrifugal force to which the mechanism is subjected. The degree of pressure obtaining in chamber l2 for any given value of centrifugal force may, of course, be predetermined by the adjustment of the spring 48.

If the action of centrifugal force increases, there will be a corresponding increase in the forces acting on the valve 40 to close it and this will result in increased pressure in chamber l2 and increased pressure delivered to the aviators suit through the tube 39.

If a change in flying conditions occurs so that the mechanism is no longer subject to the action of centrifugal force, the valve 49 will be opened by pressure in the chamber I2 and likewise the valve 2 3 will be closed and the valve 25 opened so that no air under pressure will be delivered to chamber 52 and the air in this chamber and in the aviators suit will vent to the atmosphere through port 3'! thus restoring the parts of the mechanism to their normal positions and restoring the aviators suit to its normal deflated position.

It will be seen, therefore, that this mechanism will serve to maintain th aviators suit normally in deflated condition but will admit air to'the suit when subjected to centrifugal force of a prede- As the termined value. Moreover, the degree of pressure obtaining in the suit at this predetermined value of the centrifugal force will be regulated by the regulating valve and can be predetermined by adjustment of the parts by the adjusting screw so that. at a certain minimum value for the centrifugal force to which the mechanism is subjected, a given pressure will obtain in the aviators suit.

It will also be apparent that as the centrifugal force increases, thepressure in the suit will correspondingly increase and, as the centrifugal force decreases, the pressure will correspondingly decrease until when the value of centrifugal force reaches a given-minimum, the suit'will again be deflated.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, a modification of the invention is illustrated. In some instances it is desirable to deliver air under regulated and variable pressures to a plurality of points instead of a single point as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. For example, in connection with the protection of the pilot of an airplane it may bedesirable to deliver air under pressure to several parts of his suit and to regulate the pressurein each of the parts individually or independently of the pressure obtaining in the other parts. For example, th aviators suit may be provided with three or more separate bladders and it may be desired that each of these bladders be inflated with a given amount of pressure regardless of the pressure obtaining in the other bladders. The structure shown in Figs. 3 to 5 of the drawings isdesigned to eifect this result and is so designed that not only the initial pressure delivered to the various parts of the suit may be independently regulated but also the increase of pressure over this minimum may be variably regulated according to the increase in the value of centrifugal force to which the mechanism is subjected.

As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings there is provided a controlling valve structure designated generally by the numeral 63 and three substantially identical regulating valve structures designated generally by the numerals Si, 62 and 63, It will be, of course, understood that the number of these regulating valves may be varied, if desired, according to the number of bladders employed in the aviators suit for which independent regulation is desired.

The controlling valve structure 521 comprises a chamber 64 having an inlet port 65 for air under pressure and an outlet port 66 controlled by a valve 61 secured to a valve stem 68 which carried at its lower end a weight 69. Connected to this weight is one end of a collapsible bellows 70, the other end of which is secured to the lower portion of a sleeve ll through which the valve stem loosely extends. This sleeve is secured in a partition 12 which forms the bottom of the chamber 64.

The port 65 provides communication between the chamber 66 and the space 13 provided within a cap 14 secured upon the main casting or body portion 15 of the structure. A passage 76 is provided through this casting which communicates with a vent or dump trough 'i'l extending lengthwise below the casting 75, which trough may communicate with the atmosphere at the point T8. It will be apparent, therefore, that when the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the valve chamber (i l will be vented to the atmosphere through chamber '53, passage "is and trough Tl. However, when centrifugal force acts upon the weight 69 in a direction to move it away from the port 66, the valve 67 will be drawn downwardly to a seated position on this port and thus close the latter and prevent the venting of the chamber 64. Below the weight 69 is a compression spring 19, opposing the weight, the tension of which spring may be regulated by the screw to regulate the amount of centrifugal force required to seat the valve 07. This valve will also be subject to a closing force due to the existence of air under pressure within the collapsible bellows 10, which air tends to expand this bellows and thus seat the valve 67. When the valve 67 is closed, the pressure air within the chamber 64 will be conveyed to the regulating valve structures GI, 62 and 63 as will be presently described.

The casting T5 is provided with a plurality of chambers 8|, three in number (Fig. 5). As shown, there is one for each of the regulating valve structures GI, 62 and 63. Each of these chambers is provided with a port 82 leading into the trough 7'; to vent the chambers 53! to the atmosphere. Controlling the ports 82 are valves 83 at the lower ends of valve stems 84. The valves 83 are regulated and controlled in exactly the same manner as the valve 48 previously described, and the controllin mechanism of each is the same except that the gravity-actuated weights 85, 83 and 8'! are of different values so that variation will be obtained in the effect of centrifugal force upon these weights. Each of the valve structures is, of course, capable of individual adjustment so that the initial pressures obtaining in one of the chambers 8!, when the corresponding valve 83 is closed, may vary from that obtaining in the other chambers under similar conditions. It will also be apparent that as the value of the weig ts 85, t6 and 87 vary, the increase in pressure obtaining in one of the chambers 8! due to an increase in centrifugal force will vary with relation to the increase in pressure in the other chambers under the same increase in the value of centrifugal force.

As shown in 5 of the drawings, the chamber 66 is connected with each of the chambers 8| by the passages 88, 29 and 30, so that when the port 66 is closed by the valve 6?, pressure fluid will be delivered to the chambers 8| through these passages which are formed in the casting 15.

Also as illustrated in Fig. 5. each of the chambers 3! has a passage leading therefrom, which passages terminate in ports 92 provided in a boss 53 on the casting 75. Flexible tubes 94 may be secured to the boss $33 to communicate with the ports 92 respectively and convey air under pressure to desired points of delivery such, for example, as three different bladders in an aviators suit which it is desired to inflate independently or with various degrees of pressure.

It will be apparent that the form of our invention shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings acts on the same principle as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in that, in each case, there is a controlling valve to control the delivery of fluid under pressure to a regulating valve structure which in turn regulates the degree of pressure delivered to a desired point according to the value of centrifugal force to which the mechanism is subjecfie dfin the structure shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, however, there are provided three of these regulating valves, each of which receives pressure fluid from the controlling valve when the centrifugal force reaches a given value, and each or" which independently regulates and delivers this pressure fluid to separate points of delivery so that the pressure delivered to one of these points may be kept at any desired value independently or that delivered at the other points.

Moreover, the control valve 67 is also in this form of our invention actuated by the action of centrifugal force in that it normally stands in open position and, in such position, the air in chamber 66 is vented to the atmosphere. However, when the value of centrifugal force reaches a given minimum, its action upon the weight 59 will cause the valve 37 to close, thereby preventing the venting of chamber 6 3 to cause delivery of pressure air through the passages 8t, 89 and 90 to the individual valve chambers 8! of the regulating valves 6|, 62 and 63. In View of the fact that the action of each of the regulating valves is similar to the action of the one described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2, it is believed that the operation of this form of device will be understood without further description.

While we have shown and described some preferred embodiments of our invention, it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the details shown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit or" the invention and within the scope of the claims.

What we claim is:

1. In a fluid pressure control mechanism, means providing a plurality of chambers each having a vent port, means including a valve actuated by centrifugal force and controlling the ad mission of a fluid under pressure to said chambers, and means for independently controlling the delivery of fluid from each of said chambers under different degrees of pressure, said lastnamed means comprising a valve for each chamber controlling the vent port thereof, means biasing each of said valves toward closed position, and said means being regulatable to vary the pressure or" the fluid delivered from each of said chambers.

2. In a fluid pressure control mechanism, means providing a plurality of chambers, means including a valve actuated by centrifugal force and controlling the admission of a fluid under pressure to said chambers, a plurality of centrifugally operated valves for independently controlling the delivery of fluid from said chambers under predetermined degrees of pressure, weight means biasing each of said valves in one direction, and a collapsible bellows exposed to the fluid pressure in the associated chamber urging each of said valves in the other direction.

3. Means for inflating the bladder of an aviators suit or the like comprising a valve casing having a chamber, inlet means for the chamber connected to a source of fluid pressure, a second chamber, means providing communication between said chambers, a valve controlling such communication, means normally urging said valve to closed position, a weight normally acting to open said valve, said second chamber having an outlet port, said second chamber also having a vent port, and a valve responsive to the action of centrifugal force and to pressure within the chamber to control the opening and closing of the vent port.

4. In a fluid-pressure-control mechanism for delivering fluid under predetermined pressure to a receptacle, means providing a chamber adapted to contain a fluid under pressure, means to convey such fluid to a point of delivery, a vent port for said chamber, a valve controlling said port, a collapsible bellows exposed to the pressure obtaining within the chamber for opening said valve, a spring opposing the action of the bellows, a Weight opposing the action of said bellows whereby the pressure necessary to move said valve varies with the force of acceleration to which the weight is subjected, a second chamber connected to a source of fluid pressure and adapted to be placed in communication with said first chamber, a valve controlling such communication, and a weight normally urging said last-named valve to open position.

5. In a fluid-pressure-control mechanism, a chamber, inlet means connecting said chamber to a source of fluid under pressure, valve means controlling said inlet means, said valve means being responsive to the action of centrifugal force to introduce fluid pressure into said chamber, said chamber having an outlet port and a vent port, and means responsive to the action of centrifugal force and to pressure within the chamber to control said vent port.

6. In a fluid-pressure-control mechanism, a chamber, inlet means connecting said chamber to a source of fluid under pressure, valve means controlling said inlet means, said valve means being responsive to the action of centrifugal force to introduce fluid pressure into said chamber, said chamber having an outlet port and a vent port, a valve controlling said vent port, a weight normally urging said valve to closed position, and a collapsible bellows exposed to pressure within the chamber to move the valve to open position.

'7. A valve casing having inlet means, outlet means, a port providing communication therebetween, a valve controlling said port, means responsive to the action of centrifugal force to effect movement of said valve, a chamber to which said outlet means is connected, said chamber having an outlet port, valve means responsive to the action of centrifugal force and to the pressure obtaining within the chamber to control said last-named port, weight means biasing said valve means to closed position, and a collapsible bellows exposed to pressure in the chamber urging said valve means to open position.

8. In a device of the class described, means to convey air under pressure from a source of supply to a receptacle therefor, means responsive to the action of centrifugal force to divert said air from said receptacle to a second receptacle, means for regulating the pressure of the air delivered to said second receptacle according to the value of centrifugal force to which the device is subjected, said last-mentioned means comprising a chamber communicating with the second receptacle and having a vent port, and a weighted valve controlling said port.

9. In a fluid pressure control mechanism, means providing a plurality of chambers each having a vent port, means including a valve actuated by centrifugal force and controlling the admission of a fluid under pressure to said chambers, means for independently controlling the delivery of fluid from each of said chambers under different degrees of pressure, said last-mentioned means including a valve for each chamber controlling the vent port thereof, and weight means urging said valve to closed position.

10. In a system for preventing an unnatural blood distribution within a human body which is subjected to forces set up when said body is accelerated in space, and having means adapted normally to engage loosely a portion of the human body and adapted, when actuated, to effeet a pressure against the blood-carrying vessels of said body; the improvement which consists in the provision of a device for controlling said means automatically, said device comprising, a control element mounted for rectilinear movement and being movable in one direction in response to acceleration forces thereby to actuate said first mentioned means, means automatically to move said control element in the opposite direction upon the cessation of said acceleration forces thereby to enable the return of said first mentioned means to its normal condition, and a second control element mounted for rectilinear movement and being movable in one direction in response to said acceleration forces and in the opposite direction in response to the forces eX- erted upon said first mentioned means, the movement of said second control element being eiTective to vary the pressure exerted by said first mentioned means in a ratio proportional to the magnitude of said acceleration forces.

11. Means for inflating the bladder of an aviators suit or the like comprising a valve casing having a chamber, inlet means for the chamber connected to a source of fluid pressure, a second chamber, means providing communication between said chambers, a Valve controlling such communication, means normally urging said valve to closed position, a Weight normally acting to open said valve, said second chamber having an outlet port, and means responsive to centrifugal force and to the pressure Within the second chamber to control passage of fluid through said port.

IRVING R. VERSOY.

ANTHONY D. RAPUANO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

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